[Ip-health] Pharmalot: Groups Urge Colombia To Issue AIDS Drug License

[Sarah Rimmington]

Groups Urge Colombia To Issue AIDS Drug License
http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/08/groups-urge-colombia-to-issue-aids-drug-li=
cense/
By Ed Silverman // August 6th, 2008 // 4:06 pm

An international coalition of patient and public health advocacy groups
has sent a letter to representatives of the Colombian government,
endorsing a recent request by several Colombian civil society groups for
an open compulsory license on Abbott=92s Kaletra AIDS medicine.

Kaletra currently costs the Colombian public sector about $1,683 per
patient annually, and prices for private health organizations reach
$4,449, according to the groups. Peru and Bolivia, by contrast, pay less
than $800 for a generic version. Through a recent accord with the
Clinton Foundation, prices in the region could fall to $550, and by
issuing a compulsory license and allowing generics firms to compete with
Kaletra, the Colombian government could save $1 million annually, the
groups contend.

The coalition issued its letter today at the International AIDS
Conference being held this week in Mexico City, and the groups include
Doctors Without Borders, Health Action International, American Medical
Student Association, Health GAP and ACT UP, among about two dozen
others. We are awaiting a reply from Abbott.

--
Sarah Rimmington
Attorney
Essential Action, Access to Medicines Project
Washington, DC
Tel: (202) 387-8030
Cell: (202) 422-2687
www.essentialaction.org/access/